


If We Meet Again

by city_bright



Category: The Mindy Project
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-06-03
Updated: 2017-06-28
Packaged: 2018-11-07 05:14:35
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 1,754
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11052060
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/city_bright/pseuds/city_bright
Summary: AU where Mindy and Danny meet for the first time as new next door neighbors.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Writing a new fic is always the answer to finishing an old one is what I always say lol
> 
> I found this prompt on the Tumblr Internets and thought it'd be fun to write for Mindy and Danny - I just moved into a new apartment and went to buy groceries, but I bought more than I could carry back. I’ve stopped to catch my breath when I hear someone asking if I need help and I look up and the sun is literally making you glow like a damn angel.

Mindy was absolutely positive the universe was out to get her today. The one day she decides to be responsible and go grocery shopping, the elevator at her new apartment building goes out of service. So with three bags worth of groceries in her arms, she was forced to walk up eight flights of stairs to her floor. Mindy gave up in between the fifth and sixth floor, and she ungracefully slumped against the wall at the bottom of the stairway, breathing heavily. She heard a lock click from above and then shoes rhythmically hitting the concrete, the sound getting louder and louder until it came to a stop.

“Hey, are you okay? Do you need help?”

She turned her head towards the voice at the top of the staircase and saw a man basked in the sunlight coming in from the window behind him. The sun rays made his hair glisten and shine, and she could see the dust particles floating around his perfectly coifed and swept hair. She blinked a few times to make sure she wasn't imagining him. Was he glowing? “Are you an angel? Oh my god, have I died? No, I’m too young to die!”

The man chuckled softly and made his way down to the bottom of the stairs and kneeled in front of her. “Are you okay?” he asked again, intensely searching her eyes for signs of distress.

“Yeah,” she said breathlessly, though she was unsure if she was breathless from the unprecedented physical exertion or from his beautifully chiseled face so close to hers. “I’m just, you know, taking a breather," she casually stated. Her body betrayed her as she unceremoniously gasped for air, giving her away.

Eyebrows raised and a smile forming on his lips, he stood up and extended her a hand to help her up, which she gratefully took. She underestimated his grasp on her hand as she roughly pulled herself up, causing her to teeter over her heels. He quickly caught her waist to steady her, and Mindy immediately blushed at his hot touch. She looked down at her skirt to straighten it in an effort to hide her flushed cheeks, and he removed his hand from her waist to grab two of her grocery bags.

“Let me help you out with these. What floor do you live on?”

“The eighth.”

“Really? I’ve never seen you around before. Did you just move into apartment 8D?”

“Yeah, how did you know?” she asked cautiously.

“I live right across the hall in 8C. I’m Danny, by the way.”

She mentally apologized to the universe, thankful that it had this unbearably attractive man live across the hall from her. “I’m Mindy. Nice to meet you, neighbor,” she laughed nervously, “thanks for your help.”

“Not a problem. Shall we?” he asked, nudging his head towards the stairs. Mindy appreciatively nodded and smiled, picking up the last bag of groceries before leading the way up the stairs. He trailed behind her, and while she didn’t chance looking over her shoulder, she felt his eyes on her, and she didn’t exactly hate that feeling.

Mindy fumbled with the keys to her apartment after seeing him in her peripheral vision leaning against the wall next to her apartment door. She chastised the universe once more because no one can look that good leaning against the wall, and it makes her wanna do bad things to him, but they’ve just met, and she doesn’t want to be _that_ person.

After finally getting the door unlocked after an embarrassing amount of time, she turned towards him to say thank you and take the bags from his hands. Mindy casually and _definitely_ not intentionally brushed her fingers against his. “Anytime,” he shrugged, placing his now empty hands into the front pockets of his jeans. “Welcome to the hallway neighborhood.” Danny tilted his head to the side, questioning his own choice of words before timidly chuckling. “You know what I mean.”

She laughed softly at his remark. “Thanks again, Danny, for taking the time to help me. I hope I didn’t keep you from anything.”

“It was nothing,” he reassured her, “I was just going downstairs to pick up my mail.”

“Oh, okay,” she sighed, relieved she didn’t cause an inconvenience. “Well, thanks! I guess I’ll see you around.“

"Yeah, yeah, for sure.” He reached up to rub the back of his neck, uncomfortable to be standing there yet not wanting to move.

“Bye,” she quietly mouthed as she passed the threshold into her apartment and closed the door. Danny stood there until the lock clicked before turning against his heels, taking the one step to his apartment door. He took out his phone and pressed a few buttons before bringing it up to his ear. “Hey, I’m sorry, but I can’t make it,” he said, balancing the phone on his shoulder to unlock his door and walking inside, “Yeah, something came up.”

He wasn’t picking up his mail.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Continuing this next door neighbors AU with another chapter based on this prompt I found on Tumblr - You’re drunk and walked into the wrong apartment and fell asleep on my couch oh god you’re going to be so confused in the morning.
> 
> I don't know where I'm going with this, so please feel free to offer any suggestions, but I just didn't want this sitting around in my drafts anymore lol.

The next morning, Mindy hazily walked out of her bedroom and saw a pair of feet hanging off the edge of her couch. She rubbed her eyes, thinking maybe she was still in some sleep induced state, but nope, they were still there. She tiptoed her way closer to the couch, not wanting to scare off the intruder just in case she needed to do some serious damage, but instead of a murderer, she found Danny, lying face down on her couch, face smushed into her pillows, with a lingering scent of alcohol.

He looked a little worse for the wear, hair mussed and pointing every which way, but it was actually kind of cute. He was rocking a pretty major 5 o’clock shadow, a far cry from the clean shaven face he had yesterday. He mumbled something in his sleep, and she let out a yelp in surprise. Mindy immediately covered her mouth and held her breath, not wanting to disturb the silence any further and wake him. He remained still, and she relaxed, heading back to her kitchen to continue her morning routine. She had no idea how he would react upon waking up on her couch, but the idea of messing with him was kind of exciting. She started a pot of coffee and got ready for her day.

Danny woke up as soon as she placed the coffee pot back in its place. He opened his eyes and saw a very brightly colored pillow he has no memory of ever having in his home.

“Where am I?” he mumbled.

His head shot up, taking in his surroundings, and realized that this was not his apartment. He mentally checked off what he did last night, and he didn’t remember going to anyone else’s apartment. He did a 180 degree scan of the unfamiliar environment and eventually spotted Mindy quietly sipping her coffee in the kitchen, elbows resting on the kitchen island as she read a magazine. The morning light filtered into her kitchen that gave her a halo quality.

“Mindy?”

“Oh hey, you’re up!” she replied a little too brightly.

He winced at her loud voice, bringing his attention to the pounding headache he had. He sat up on her couch and dropped his head in his palms. “What happened?” He stood up and ran a hand through his unruly hair, but he took a step back, his balance still not as sharp as it could be. “Is that coffee?”

“Yeah, you want some? You could seriously use a cup, no offense.”

“None taken.” He took a seat across from her at her kitchen island. “What am I doing in your apartment?”

“Oh, you don’t remember?” She poured him a cup of coffee, stalling her response for added suspense. “Hm, I guess you wouldn’t considering how drunk you were last night, but we actually hooked up, and it was so good for you, you cried.”

He almost choked on his coffee. “W-We did?” he croaked, his mouth suddenly dry and not from this hangover.

“No," she laughed, "I’m just messing with you.” She hid a lingering smile behind her coffee cup before taking a sip. “You were drunk though. I think you just walked into the wrong apartment and ended up on my couch.”

“How did I get in? Do you just leave your door unlocked in the middle of the night?" Mindy shrugged as if it was the perfectly logical thing to do in New York City. "That’s so dangerous though.”

“Okay, first of all, everybody knows that burglars don’t just waltz in through your front door. Second of all, we’re on the 8th floor. No one is gonna rob an 8th floor apartment when there are 7 other floors in this apartment building that are much easier to rob. And lastly, you live next door, and you’re not exactly a serial killer, so it doesn't really matter.”

“How do you know that I’m not a serial killer? We only met yesterday. You don’t know anything about me."

“Yeah, but you’re not creepy enough to be one. It’s not your vibe.”

“My vibe? What if I’m one of those really charming serial killers?” he teases.

She raised a hand to stop him in his tracks. “Okay, the fact that you’re trying to convince me clearly means you are not one.”

“Alright, alright.” He downed the remaining coffee left in his cup and chuckled softly at her confidence. “Well, thank you for the cup of coffee, I owe you one. And I promise not to drunkenly crash on your couch from here on out.” He stood up from his chair and headed towards the door.

“Nah, it’s on me. You helped me with my groceries. Consider us even.”

Danny thanked her once more as he stepped out into the hallway and fished out his keys. He noticed that he had yet to hear a door close, so he glanced back to see her leaning against the door frame, coffee cup still in hand. “Are you waiting for me to safely return home because we live so far away from each other or…?”

“Yes,” she said matter of factly, “you drank yourself into a state and broke into my apartment. You definitely need some level of supervision.”

“I didn’t break into-“

“Shh,” Mindy interrupted with a glint in her eye as she started to close her door, “you’re drunk, you don’t know what you’re saying.”

He grinned widely as he shook his head and entered his apartment, closing the door behind him.


End file.
